The Darkness Between Us
by unusual-love
Summary: My take on what happens after 5x08 between Emma and Killian.


**A/:N For this story, I will use the following rules for the Excalibur, they're not canon but of my own making:**

\- **The Excalibur can only be wielded, for magic purposes, by Emma and Killian, since their names are on it and the sword is now whole.**

\- **When either of them possesses it, no one can, physically or magically, remove the sword from them.**

\- **Others can touch it, if the sword is left unattended, but can't be used to summon or control them.**

\- **Only Emma and Killian can use the sword to impose some control on the other, which has it's limits and loopholes because to fully use the sword, they both have to agree on the actions to take.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

Affected by the weight of his memories, hurt and anger quickly filled Hook's heart. Zelena's reveal of his name on the Excalibur only served to send him over the edge.

He was a Dark One. Fate seemed to be mocking him and all his years of trying to find ways of ending the Crocodile. How could he accept being turned into the thing he learned to hate for centuries?

Getting the rest of his memories back was surpassed by the need of doing something about Emma. He meant when he said "But first we have to take care of her". The squid ink would only keep her paralyzed for a while and Killian Jones wondered if somewhere in Storybrooke was a cage capable of holding a Dark One.

Zelena's annoying laughs and giggles, in expectation on what would happen next merely made him angrier and the Witch, observing his erratic behavior, decided it was best to poof herself out of there, under the pretence of looking for her daughter. Before going, she tried to steal the sword from him, but the task proved impossible. Killian laughed and offered the simple explanation: "The blade has my name on it, you can't simply take what's not yours." Zelena rolled her eyes and finally vanished from his presence.

Killian looked at the Excalibur and for a long while didn't look up from it, despite feeling Emma's eyes on him.

"So this is what you meant when you said the sword doesn't control anyone, anymore." He exclaimed, turning his back on her, indifferent to the tears rolling down her face.

Hook grabbed the dreamcatcher containing his memories and felt how easily the magic started surging on him. Soon the images starting appearing, only stopping when they reached the moment everyone reappeared in Granny's diner.

Emma was still crying quietly in her invisible prison, she had tried so hard to keep this from happening. Aware that her plans of killing Zelena weren't the best and she'd never do something close to that when she was on the heroes side, she would have preferred it to the sight of once again seeing the devastated look on the love of her life's eyes.

"Killian please understand." She said weakly.

"Oh I understand it very well love" He responded, in his best flirting pirate voice.

He was walking in circles, Excalibur in hand, as if this motion would give him some clarity.

"What are you going to do?"

Killian stopped in his tracks, his mind a tourbillion of thoughts and emotions. He wasn't sure of many things, but Emma's question had the ability of making him focus on an idea, one of his oldest hates came back as if it were never gone.

What a great opportunity to finally extract vengeance on Rumplestiltskin , his foe wasn't in Camelot when he became a Dark One, but was now very reachable.

Emma swore she could see his train of thought, though she didn't really care about what happened to Mr. Gold. She didn't want Killian to leave her to go seek his dark purposes but she was powerless.

"Don't worry Swan, I won't leave you standing there. Don't want you to be uncomfortable." He smiled devilishly at her. Holding the Excalibur he said her name and commanded her not to be on his way.

Emma was freed from her prison and Killian left to battle Rumple. She found she could move around as she wished as long as she didn't cross his way. Now that the cat was out of the bag, she searched for her parents, which, in the meanwhile, had been informed of her actions by Zelena, who only did it to taunt them and not remotely out of kindness or helpfulness.

Snow and Charming observed her in silence and Emma could swear that behind their quizzical eyes, she saw some concern and a hint of happiness because she was the one to seek them out. Momentarily forgetting his daughter was a Dark One, Charming initiated the conversation, offering ideas on what to do about Hook. The feeling reached Emma, who secretly rejoiced in this little glimpse of normalcy.

Snow intervened arguing they couldn't help until they fully understood everything that happened in Camelot, so letting a sigh out, Emma made their dreamcatchers appear and restored what she had taken.

She was preparing herself to be scolded like a small child but, while still don't approving her actions, the Charmings comforted her, understanding she acted out of love and despair, in part due to the heart they shared.

Emma spent most of the day with them and Henry, who had also gotten his memories back and then after some insistence she handed over to Regina, the remaining dreamcatchers, not caring anymore about who knew about her actions.

Henry had easily forgiven her, contradicting what Zelena had predicted. Her son continuously amazed her and she felt so proud of him, of his noble heart.

In the city, they could hear the ruckus Hook was creating, Belle was trying desperately to reason with him while he chased and fought Rumplestiltskin mercilessly.

Emma knew she couldn't stop him, Regina and Zelena couldn't stop him and, the latter wouldn't even if she could, finding the whole situation so deliciously amusing.

The Charmings claimed there would have to be a way to reason with him but Emma explained the nature of Hook's darkness. She affirmed that because Killian was turned into a Dark One against his will, the feelings lingering in him were mostly negative, he didn't chose it, he actually begged her not to do this to him. She had created a Dark One that hates himself which made him more dangerous, though not more powerful than her.

She felt her father's hand on her shoulder, she had tried to explain Killian's behavior but it sounded more like a self - accusation than the simple conveying of facts about a situation.

Henry approached his mother with an idea, he asked for the ring Killian gave her and to talk to him alone. Both his moms refused the idea, the pirate was out of control and they feared for Henry's safety.

The lack on any other ideas, made Henry's suggestion seem better and better and under a strong protection spell, the boy left to meet Hook, who was still toying with Mr. Gold before actually killing him.

Killian ignored Henry completely until the boy threatened to throw his ring to the sea. This seemed to make him snap out of his state of fury and blind revenge, his opponent was grateful for the pause and took the opportunity to flee the place. Hook seemed oblivious to it, busy transporting Henry to his ship in a cloud of smoke.

Killian Jones wasn't afraid of losing his ring, Henry could've dropped it all he wanted, because the newly self-discovered Dark One could easily find it using magic. The memory of his brother and the image of Emma wearing the ring with the silent promise they had made back in Camelot, numbed his furious resolve to destroy, first the Crocodile and then everything around him.

He walked towards Henry, who didn't flinch but instead held his ground with dignity, took the ring from the boy's hand, then vanished without a trace.


End file.
